Fern Gully
Fedirn 'my friends call me Fern' Gully is a living study in the power of positivity emboldened by insanity. A relentlessly optimistic, happy, and outgoing fellow with an almost unbelievable winning streak in life, Fern has never shown any sign of ending his multi-nation wide friendship campaign. Personality Fern has a number of layers; none existing to hide the others, but each the result of confusing, circuitous, sometimes seemingly contradictory logic which Fern has accumulated internally over the course of the years. To the vast majority of people he has ever or will ever meet, Fern is just what he appears to be: An exceedingly happy Druid. To very few others, Fern is a deeply broken man bent on making something out of the nothing he has been left with. While Fern is genuinely amicable and friendly, he has next to no empathy for other living things, let alone people. He makes friends, helps others, and in general does good deeds not out of any desire to do the 'right thing' or from sympathy for the plights of others, but because he finds it to be fun. He lets nothing in the world; not laws, ideals, morals, or people get in the way of his desires. He is genuinely a man without inhibition, almost completely lacking a sense of self preservation as well. Often these traits are misunderstood or never noticed in the first place due to Fern's friendly demeanor. First impressions matter after all, and Fern almost always shakes hands and greets with a smile as his own first impression to others. He has no desire to hide who he is from others and makes no effort to do this. Generally, the distinction ends up not mattering; for as long as Fern thinks being friendly and helping others is fun, he will keep doing it. He has in the past warned friends or associates of his own fickle nature, making them aware that he cannot be relied upon in any long-term sense. His most favorite way to frame this is to claim he might one day decide to run off and be a deep-sea fisherman, and he would never spare a second thought to any of his past contacts. This is entirely true. Fern has built relationships, jobs, careers- only to leave them at a moment's notice without warning. He leaves behind entire lives and loves for no better reason than passing fancy, and today would never once think of the faces he's left behind. He is, truly and above all else, free. Often, freedom is selfish. Underlying all of Fern's wild whimsies and adventures however is a deep and true desire which never changes: He is drawn inexorably to explore the secrets of Druidic magic. Born without any magical talent, Fern was instead blessed with a wickedly sharp intellect; a mind built for deconstructing systems and rebuilding them. He always had a passion for botany and the Druidic arts, but could never exist within the confines of a culture which saw Druidism as a spiritual and religious practice. As a result, Fern carries a deep and mutual distaste for Cenarion Druids and the 'establishment' of Kaldorei society as it stands. Physical Description Fern was born as an astoundingly average Kaldorei man. With his lean face and sharp features, he strikes the traditionally wise, stoic image expected of his species. At least, he does so long as he's asleep. While conscious, Fern is far too deeply infused with manic energy to be taken for any kind of 'wise' or 'stoic'. He almost constantly wears a wide grin and watches all goings-on around him with wide-eyed enthusiasm and interest. His tone of voice is constantly chipper and bright and he nearly never stops bouncing on his feet while standing in place. The only defining feature immediately visible on Fern is his hair, which has a natural color quite uncommon amongst Kaldorei: Bright, obnoxiously full seaweed green. It is possible this is how he got the diminutive nickname 'Fern' in the first place. Underneath his clothing- which is usually simple traveling gear, cloth and leather without flair or frills- Fern is stockier than is usually expected of a scholarly man. He is certainly not as muscular as a body builder, but he is actually quite broad in the chest and biceps, as if he'd spent a good many years in some sort of hard, manual labor sort of job. Men and women of the sea can easily identify the cause of this; Fern was a career fisherman. His hands remain calloused and hardened in the ways handling netting for decades would leave one. Very recently, Fern has come upon another identifying feature underneath his clothes. A massive, grotesque burn scar mars the upper half of his torso, stretching to the base of his neck and over both of his shoulders. It looks as if he stood very near to some kind of fiery explosion from which his face was only barely covered. History Fedirn was born roughly half a millennia ago in Auberdine, the premier settlement on the coast of Darkshore. He was a timid but happy youth, not overly outgoing or social but content and confident in his place in the world. Though his father supported the interest he took in botany and Druidism and often encouraged him to pursue them as full-time careers, Fedirn always turned it down. His father was a career fisherman after all, and what sort of son would leave his father to that work alone? Ful'thenar taught Fedirn how to sail and fish, how to repair and maintain a rowboat, how to haggle with the traveling merchants; all the skills a small-time fisherman would need. To his credit, Fedirn did quite well. He had, indeed, always loved the Druidic arts and would sometimes think fondly of chasing a great destiny as a hero or a scholar- but such things weren't for fishermen, were they? And certainly not for astoundingly average Fedirn Gully, of all fishermen. He was not born for greatness. He taught his two younger siblings how to fish and as his father grew older, he planned to entirely take over. Then, the cataclysm. As it came to be called. A mad Dragon Aspect darkened the sky. He beat his wings and the seas heaved. In the passing shadow of his wings, Auberdine was gone. But Fedirn was not. Having survived the cataclysmic destruction of Auberdine, Fern found that none of his family had. Two siblings, two parents, and a lifetime were all gone in barely enough time to understand what had happened, let alone why. In the wake of a destructive event which could have only been referred to as the wrath of an uncaring god, Fedirn felt something. The littlest errant thought wormed its way to prominence inside of him. Disgusted by it at first, he forced himself to grab it and stare it in the eye. That thought was a little whisper in Fedirn's deepest voice, telling him one thing. "You're free now." He listened. Having lost all that he was and all that he planned to be, Fedirn gave himself entirely to that little thought. That wild whim which tells a man to leap from the cliff for the wind is calling to him, the childish instinct to leave the cares of the world behind; he became these things. Fedirn the Fisherman died in Auberdine with his family. The man who left was the only man wild enough to walk out of the wreckage with a smile on his face. The man who left was Fern Gully. Reputation Ever since the destruction of Auberdine, Fern has been on the move. Rarely staying in one place for very long, he has steadily built a reputation as a vagabond. For the most part, he has no reputation or recognition in the world at large beyond the occasional notice he might get from frequent travelers and tavern-goers. The exception to this is overwhelmingly the Cenarion Circle and, by extension, most other institutions of Druidic practice and knowledge. Over the course of a few short years, Fern has managed to break- in provably malicious ways, with direct intent- the laws and codes of both Kaldorei society and the Cenarion Circle no less than one hundred and twenty six times. His offenses vary from numerous mild cases of misconduct and slander to severe infringements including, but not limited to: Vandalizing sacred sites within the Emerald Dream, promoting and conducting the study of heretical and dangerous subjects, assault on an Archdruid, theft of priceless and rare wildlife from the Emerald Dream, unauthorized creation of portals into the Emerald Dream, creation of sentient life, and refusal to appear for trials for the above crimes. Suffice to say, any member of the Cenarion Circle can readily recognize Fern Gully and is likely to understand he is a dangerous criminal. He is outright forbidden entry to the Dreamway and Dreamgrove, as well as Moonglade, the Temple of the Moon, and all other recognized sanctuaries and enclaves belonging to almost all Kaldorei religious orders. While Fern is desired to be brought in for trials and summary imprisonment or execution by the Cenarion Circle, he is also understood to be highly unpredictable and dangerous. As a result, no apprentices or average Druids are advised to engage him or attempt to bring him in without help. They are instead encouraged to seek help or contact the Circle with his last known location. Skills and Abilities Fern Gully is a scholarly, learned gentleman despite everything his demeanor might suggest about him. As such, he is fairly multi-talented when it comes to the lettered arts. Druidism All truth told, Fern lacks much of the raw power needed to be considered a 'great' Druid by Cenarion standards. He could never match even an average Druid in raw casting capability, being himself unable to muster the energy for brute-force, large scale spells. However, Fern is a natural-born magical theorist, and is perhaps the only living expert on Druidic magical theory considering the Cenarion Circle's promotion of mystic arts and spiritualism over scientific study. While unable to match up for raw power, there are few- if any- Archdruids alive who Fern could not readily match or outclass in wit and knowledge of spellcraft. Completely disregarding laws, regulations, morals, and the Cenarion Circle's standards has allowed Fern to delve into Druidic study on a level that simply cannot be found most places in the world. Thus far, only rumors exist of the results of Fern's research, most of it being closely guarded to himself and his immediate associates. These rumors are, however, very noteworthy if they are true. The most loudly heard one comes from travelers in the northern Eastern Kingdoms who frequent the township which Fern governs. Claims circulate that Mayor Gully somehow created a wellspring of magical power, similar to a miniaturized version of the Sun or Nightwell. Common hearsay is that this exists in the form of an ever-blossoming golden tree named 'Anadrassil', or 'Crown of the Dawn'- an apparent mockery of the Cenarion Circle's naming convention for World Trees. If true, Fern has accomplished something largely unheard of in the world and considered to only be possible with the combined efforts of the Cenarion Circle's greatest Archdruids. Whether or not this is true, no one could know without asking him directly or witnessing Anadrassil for themselves. Either way, it would likely go immediately to the top of the list of heresies he is considered guilty of. This is to speak only of his theoretical research and botanical creations. In terms of personal ability, Fern is known to lack raw power or the energy for large spells. However, one widely known capability of his is the chiefest of his heresies: His capability to shapeshift without any blessings or ties to the Dream. Fern has seemingly proven that shapeshifting is in no way reliant on spiritualism, totemic blessings, or even a connection to the Dream itself; rather he claims that it is a purely scientific matter, reliant only on comprehending the biology of the thing you wish to become as compared to your own. While this claim would initially seem unfounded, Fern has proven himself capable of shapeshifting into forms which he could not logically receive a totemic blessing for, and has done so while barred from accessing the Dream directly. While unproven as of yet, it is understood that Fern claims to be able to selectively shapeshift any parts of his body which he desires; shifting only his skin, or only select internal organs for example. This precision and control are almost unheard of in Druidic history and are either an incredible contribution to the community or a flippant insult to tradition, depending upon who one asks. Civil Management Fern has only very recently taken up a role in civil service, being appointed Mayor of a little, barely-functioning frontier town within the Autarchy of Aurelia. Turning his mind to it whole-heartedly as he does all things, Mayor Gully rapidly proved that his mind for magical theory and talent for friend-making made him a very apt politician and manager of local government. While untrained in economics and trade, Fern proved to have an immense talent for finding what people wanted, and implementing simple solutions to get it to them. This proved radically effective on almost all levels; mandatory militia service with land grants for continued service, tax exemption for families with children who couldn't work, as well as short-term tax exemption on trade and businesses to be established rapidly turned Gullstown into a prospering hamlet. In the time since his initial appointment, Fern has spent a fair amount of his days studying on those things which he lacked practical knowledge of. Armed with an actual education in economics and trade, it can likely be presumed that Mayor Gully's political career could only go upwards from here. Category:Characters Category:Night Elf